This Lemony Ahi Tuna and Olive Oil Pasta is simple and delicious! Fresh tuna is cooked and tossed with pasta and Parmesan in a light olive oil wine sauce.

dish!

While recently flipping through my Real Simple magazine I came across a recipe for Lemony Tuna Pasta.

It called for canned tuna in oil, I was really not feeling that part of the recipe, although it would be great alternative in a pinch, and so I was looking for a way to make that recipe but with fresh tuna instead. This is what I came up with.

TO Make This Lemony Ahi Tuna and Olive Oil Pasta You Will Need:

  • fresh wild caught ahi tuna steaks (thawed if frozen)
  • dried fettuccine or linguine
  • lemon
  • fresh garlic cloves
  • red pepper flakes
  • quality olive oil
  • sauvignon blanc
  • parsley, roughly chopped
  • reserved pasta water
  • kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • shaved parmesan, for serving

Gather all of your ingredients, and have them prepped and pre-measured.

I didn’t have much luck finding fresh tuna at my grocery store, so I substituted frozen. Sometimes purchasing frozen tuna or any fish for that matter can be, well, fishy! But I found the Full Circle brand vacuumed-seals their tuna and because of that fact alone I wasn’t the littlest bit worried about it not tasting superb. You need 12 ounces of ahi tuna.

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl; add in the 2 cloves of garlic (pressed or finely minced), the 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1/4 cup sauvignon blanc.

Whisk until combined.

Thinly slice 1 lemon. Remove any seeds just to be safe.

Place a few of the slices down. Which brings me to the whole parchment paper thing. If you don’t have it… then just use foil. It got a little messy for me so I ended up double wrapping it in foil too. So do whatever you are comfortable with. Parchment or foil… doesn’t matter.

Lay the Ahi tuna on top of the lemon bed. Sprinkle with kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper.

Pour the winey-oil over top. Wrap up and place in a 375° oven for 15-20 minutes depending on how thick the tuna is. They are done when a toothpick glides in smoothly without meeting any resistance.

When 10 minutes have passed, drop in 3/4 of a pound of pasta.

Mine only needed to cook for seven minutes. I figured after the ten minute mark of the tuna being in the oven it was the perfect time to drop it in. Every so often, come back to the pot and stir.

Roughly chop up about a 1/4 cup of parsley.

Using a veggie peeler, shave some fresh parmesan cheese.

When the timer alarms, remove and carefully open the tuna from the top so the juices remain in the packet.

Remove the tuna and break it up into smaller pieces.

Drain the pasta and reserve 1/4 cup of pasta water.

Sprinkle in the minced fresh parsley.

Toss in the tuna.

Combine the juices from the foil packet with some or all of the pasta water, and drizzle it over top.

Lastly, season with salt, a little black pepper, and toss with shaved Parmesan cheese.

Top with more cheese and serve.

I could have plated some up and showed you what. it. would. look. like on a plate. yeah… it was all a blur after the first bite. Poof! The whole bowl was gone. Crazy.

Enjoy! And if you give this Lemony Ahi Tuna Olive Oil Pasta recipe a try, let me know! Snap a photo and tag me on twitter or instagram!

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Yield: 4 servings

Lemony Ahi Tuna Olive Oil Pasta

This Lemony Ahi Tuna and Olive Oil Pasta is simple and delicious! Fresh tuna is cooked and tossed with pasta and Parmesan in a light olive oil wine sauce.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces ahi tuna steaks, thawed if frozen
  • 3/4 fettuccine or linguine
  • 1 lemon, sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic, pressed through a garlic press or minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/4 cup sauvignon blanc
  • 1/4 cup parsley, roughly chopped
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup reserved pasta water
  • kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • shaved parmesan, for serving

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 375° and bring a large pot of water to boil. Season the water with lots of kosher salt.
  • On a piece of parchment or foil, lay a few of the lemon slices. Place the tuna on top and season with salt, pepper and top with more lemon slices.
  • In a small bowl; combine pressed garlic, red pepper flakes, wine and oil. Whisk it together and pour over lemons and tuna. Seal up the parchment or foil to eliminate any steam from escaping and place the foil pack on a rimmed sheet pan. Place pan on the middle rack in your oven and cook for 15-20 minutes depending on the thickness of your tuna. {The tuna is done when a toothpick glides easily through the thickest part without meeting any resistance.}
  • After 10 minutes have elapsed since the fish has been in the oven, drop the pasta into the seasoned water and cook as directed on the package. Pastas have different cooking times so adjust your times accordingly. When the pasta is al dente, reserve a 1/4 to 1/2 cup of starchy pasta water then drain the pasta and transfer pasta to a large bowl
  • When the fish has finished cooking, carefully open the foil pack from the top and remove the fish, being careful to keep the juices from spilling. Break apart the tuna into bite size pieces. And combine the cooking liquids with the pasta water. To the pasta; add the parsley, tuna and sauce liquids. Season with more salt, pepper and shaved cheese.
  • Toss and serve immediately!
Serving: 1g, Calories: 173kcal, Carbohydrates: 2g, Protein: 20g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 32mg, Sodium: 39mg, Potassium: 255mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 2210IU, Vitamin C: 9mg, Calcium: 17mg, Iron: 1mg
Author: Laurie McNamara
Course: Mains & Entrees
Cuisine: American-Italian